Fate's Hand of Four
by Aromene
Summary: They had started out as strangers, all four of them, but it didn’t take long before they were teammates. And then friends.


**Disclaimer: These so don't belong to me. Maybe in another AU they do, but not this one.**

**AN: The title was one of those that just happened. I had originally named it something else, but wasn't happy with it, so when I went to post it to I knew I need another title. And this just…came to me. **

**Summary: They had started out as strangers, all four of them; it didn't take long before they were teammates. And then friends.**

* * *

Dr. Weir has dubbed it "His Team", but so far it is nothing more than words on paper. He has never had his own team before; never even had a command. He has no idea where to start.

She is helpful only so far as to suggest that he pick a scientist (for all that technology they hope to find and all those ZPMs they are praying they find) and another military member to be his second.

He has already assumed the second, because he knows that's how the teams at the SGC were always arranged. After she suggests it though, he pretty much knows instantly that the only person he can pick is Ford, because no one else knows him or has even begun to trust him. And when it comes down to it, Ford is the only one who knows and understands what really happened back on that ship, and he's the only one that isn't going to harbor some resentment or even hatred for the new commander of Atlantis as long as John holds said posting. He also figures that Ford has so far followed his orders and been happy to do so. He's the only one so far, and so John figures that's as good as it's going to get. And at least the kid has been on a Gate team before. John knows he can use all the help he can find.

He knows that a scientist would be a good idea. He has no idea what he's walking into in this galaxy, and his aptitude with earth technology is borderline at best, and non existent when it comes to Ancient tech, except that he can turn anything on he wants to. He just has no idea how it works.

He ponders most of this for three days. Then he gives up and goes to Dr. Weir (who he has already dubbed Elizabeth in his head, and probably soon out loud too) and asks for suggestions.

She recommends he ask for volunteers from the scientists, because none of them are going react well to being ordered onto a team. He figures he's never going to find anyone if he has to wait for them to volunteer, because really, scientists? He's pretty sure every single one of them would rather be locked in the labs then hiking about a probably hostile alien planet.

Instead he nods and thanks her for her help, and subtly tries to ask if she'd recommend anyone else.

She suggests Teyla. John nearly kicks himself for not thinking of her earlier. They are alone in a foreign galaxy with no idea what they are doing. Teyla will likely save their lives. Again.

He immediately tracks her down to ask her. She seems more than happy to agree, though it takes awhile for her to understand exactly what he's looking for. But she knows she's the best asset they have right now, and she's not using that position to get what she wants. John is both impressed and very very relieved.

He doesn't think about Team Member #4 for three days. There are too many things to do, and too much that is suddenly his responsibility.

It is not until Elizabeth politely asks if he might be ready to take his team out on a mission in a few days (she already has three worlds picked out she wants them to explore) that he finally works up the courage to brace himself to head into Geek World.

He makes it to the lab hallway where he can hear McKay shouting from a hundred feet away and abruptly looses his courage. He tells himself he doesn't want to interrupt and uses it as an excuse to make a strategic retreat. He saves face by going down to medical instead and asking Beckett if he thinks including a medic on the team might be a good idea. At least on those occasions when they know they might be headed into an enemy situation.

The Scot looks both tired and excited. John can sympathize. Beckett politely listens to John's sales pitch before refusing. None of his team are trained for a hostile encounter and there are few enough medical personnel that he doesn't want to risk loosing anyone. John figures that's a good enough reason, and is mollified when Beckett promises to have a team on standby 24/7 in case they get into trouble off world.

He steers clear of the science labs on his way out and instead locks himself in his so-called 'office' (quotation marks included, because Elizabeth has told him it is his, but he hasn't actually used it for anything more than hiding).

He arrives in Rodney McKay's territory bright and early the next morning, but long enough after dawn that he both knows McKay is already there and hopes he's had his morning caffeine fix. He is not disappointed.

The lab is quiet, or as quiet as it is every likely to be during the day. There are only three people working away and John figures he's not interrupting anything too important – yet.

"What do you want, Major?" McKay notices the disturbance in the room as soon as John sets foot over the threshold. He has not seen McKay even glance his way. John is impressed…and slightly worried.

"Um, yeah; you got a second?"

"No, but since you are unlikely to leave my presence until you have said what you came all the way down here to bother me with, you might as well get it over with. Quickly." He still hasn't looked up. The other two scientists are studiously ignoring the conversation.

"Right. So, Elizabeth (he mentally slaps himself for the slip already) asked me to put together a team. You know, First Contact and all that. Search for technology, food and…stuff. I was just, uh, thinking it might be good to have a scientist along. In case we find any, uh….tech stuff."

"And you would like me to spare the time of one of my scientists so you can go off gallivanting into God knows what and probably get said scientist killed. And I would agree to this, why?"

John decides to hell with it, time to resort to drastic measures. "Because if we do find any Ancient tech, like say, a ZPM, we aren't likely to know whether it's charged or whatnot or if it's safe to remove from whatever it's in. And we wouldn't want to go blowing ourselves up our first trip out, now would we?"

McKay looks at him. It is a look partly annoyed, partly appraising, and mostly thoughtful.

"You make a good point, Major." John nearly reels back in shock. "I suppose there's no way around it. I hardly have the time to waste on such things, but if we find a ZedPM…" he trails off, already occupied with his own train of thought.

"So?" John prompts.

"So what?" He looks confused at being interrupted. Even more confused at seeing Sheppard is still standing there.

"So, can I have one of the scientists for my team?"

McKay adopts the look John had already figure out means "could you _be_ any more idiotic?" and says the last five words John ever expected to hear.

"You can have me, Major."

John will later wonder how the whole thing had gone so wrong, once he recovered from the shock of it. Within a month he will be more grateful for McKay's presence by his side then he's ever thought possible.

They had started out as strangers, all four of them; it didn't take long before they were teammates. And then friends.


End file.
